- The European Commission has not defined Apple’s iMessage as an “essential platform service” under the EU’s Digital Markets Act.
- This decision exempts Apple from any new obligations, such as making iMessage interoperable with other messaging services.
- Apple and Microsoft welcomed the Commission’s decision and committed to supporting cross-platform standards following the decision on iMessage.
The European Commission announced that Apple’s iMessage service is not defined as an “essential platform service” under the EU’s Digital Markets Act. This decision means that Apple will not face new obligations, such as requiring iMessage to be interoperable with other messaging platforms. It was also stated that Microsoft’s Edge browser, Bing search engine and advertising business were not designated as essential platform services.
According to the EU’s statement, iMessage and other services did not qualify as platform access control because they did not meet the definition of essential platform service. Apple and Microsoft stated that they welcomed the Commission’s decision.
The decision follows a five-month investigation following a list of 22 regulated services published by the commission in September. Apple’s App Store, Safari browser and iOS operating system were designated as core platform services.
On the other hand, Meta’s WhatsApp and Messenger were determined as core platform services and it was announced that efforts were being made to make these services compatible with third-party applications.
Apple has announced that it will support the cross-platform standard alongside iMessage. However, Apple’s way of complying with the Digital Markets Act is drawing criticism. In particular, the annual fee of 0.50 euros to be charged from developers even if applications are distributed in alternative application stores causes controversy.
Compiled by: Ayça Ayaz